Reminder
by Franki09
Summary: In Percy's absence, Annabeth found herself visiting the Blofis's more and more often, as an escape to the real world. But when she and Sally visit a history museum, will remainders of the past bring back unwanted, painful memories?


"And this here is a statue of Hebe, the goddess of youth. She was the daughter of Zeus and Hera, and was said to serve Ambrosia and Nectar to the gods. Apparently she resigned her post when she fell in love with and married the half-blood, Heracles."

"May I see the leaflet?"

"Of course, dear. Here."

"Thanks, Mrs. Blofis."

The statue was that of a beautiful, half-naked woman with a golden goblet in one hand and a jug in the other. Intricate details were carved all over her body, in the folds and creases of her robes, the elegant features of her face, the curls and waves of her hair. Annabeth marveled at her beauty, running a finger softly down her cold, marble cheekbone. She sighed and smiled weakly, about to move on when she heard Sally's voice echoing across the marble room.

"Annabeth, come see this!" She was grinning up at a large, beautiful mosaic design on the wall, her blue eyes soaking up every detail. "This was said to be done by the artist Aesop in the Archaic era. Just look at all the detail!"

Annabeth smiled. "He was definitely talented."

"Certainly!" Sally gasped.

"Is it portraying the nine muses?"

"I think so. He definitely did a good job of it. Could you pass the camera please, I simply have to take a picture for Paul."

"What about this?" Annabeth called, gesturing to a vase with red figures delicately carved onto it.

"Well, isn't that a beauty! Wait, is that meant to be Zeus making Kronos vomit up his kids?"

Annabeth gagged. "I think so."

"Ah, maybe not."

There was all sorts in the Ancient Greek section of the museum; more statues, paintings, mosaics, vases, packed with information about the philosophy and inventions of the still great nation. Sally and Annabeth had saved it until last, visiting the other parts of the museum first - the Egyptians, Neanderthals, Dinosaurs, The American Civil War, Science and Vikings, and stopped for lunch at the coffee shop halfway through.

Then they had visited the Greeks.

Annabeth had been surprised at how much she didn't know already. After being in the 'game' of the Greeks for almost ten years now, she had probably only covered a tenth of what the Ancient Greek empire had to offer, and the things she had learned had surprised her. But really, despite all the information about architecture and Greek myths there was at store, Annabeth most enjoyed spending time with Sally. They had been spending a lot of time with each other recently, for a reason both would prefer not to mention.

And so Annabeth found herself leaving Camp Half Blood on a regular basis and staying at Sally and Paul's apartment for maybe two, three days at a time as a house-guest, and Annabeth saw it as an escape to the normal world, which she had abandoned long ago. It was refreshing, and with every trip Annabeth enjoyed herself more. They went on day activities often when Sally wasn't working, going out for meals and the usual, and when Paul was out they'd get a bunch of sweets from Sally's shop, (all blue of course) and scoff them all while watching a nice chick-flick or rom-com. And Annabeth loved it all.

"Annabeth," she heard someone, Sally say. Annabeth jumped out of her reverie and realized she had become lost in the previous mosaic, and her thoughts.

"What is it?" she asked.

"You might want to see this."

Confused, Annabeth casually made her way to where Sally was standing, staring at another large, marble statue. It was even more beautiful than Hebe, but Sally seemed disinterested in it, almost as if it made her feel uncomfortable or sad. Annabeth, guessing from the garments of the statue, had a feeling why. She glanced down at the plaque, and then at the leaflet for confirmation. _Perseus. _

Annabeth felt her heart collapse. The day had been going so _perfectly, _and then all of a sudden, out of the blue, a painful reminder for the reason they were on this trip together appeared, forcing memories to resurface and emotions they tried so hard to keep locked up unleashed. Annabeth wanted to collapse into the statue's open arms, as if it were welcoming her into a hug, and weep all over it's marble shoulder, but there was someone here who would need more comforting than her.

Sally's blue eyes were slightly wide and wet, unshed tears gathering at the tips of her lashes. She looked like she had aged twenty years in a matter of seconds, with her hand weakly covering her mouth in a quiet whimper. Annabeth gently slid her hand into her's and gave it a comforting squeeze. "It- it even looks like him," Sally murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Annabeth bit her lower lip and nodded as Sally reached out and brushed her thumb softly under it's eye like she was wiping away an invisible tear.

"Yeah," Annabeth agreed quietly. "Yeah, it does."

"Hey! Hey, you there! Yeah lady, you two!" a deep voice called, causing their heads to turn. It was a security guard, in a blue suit and with a stern expression. "No touching the artifacts. Hands off."

Sally retracted her hand from the statue's face, giving a whimper that only Annabeth could hear. She looked back at the statue, seeing nothing but _his _face there instead of the fine-featured, Greek-nosed statue with the wavy hair, long robes and winged shoes. Instead of the bland, washed over marble she saw bright, vibrant sea-green eyes, and a goofy grin instead of the faint, ghost of a smile.

"It's time we should leave," Sally said, smiling sadly like nothing had happened. But she looked older, more fragile, as she took Annabeth's arm and led her out of the museum to the car.


End file.
